diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/form-generator.js b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/form-generator.js
index 63146ce890..e9d6597001 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/form-generator.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/form-generator.js
@@ -1830,7 +1830,7 @@ angular.module('FormGenerator', [GeneratorHelpers.name, 'Utilities', listGenerat
                 // smart-search directive
                 html += `
                 <div
-                    ng-hide="${itm}.length === 0 && (${collection.iterator}_searchTags | isEmpty)">
+                    ng-hide="${itm}.length === 0 && (searchTags | isEmpty)">
                         <smart-search
                             django-model="${itm}"
                             search-size="${width}"
@@ -1855,7 +1855,7 @@ angular.module('FormGenerator', [GeneratorHelpers.name, 'Utilities', listGenerat
                 html += `
                     <div
                         class="row"
-                        ng-show="${itm}.length === 0 && !(${collection.iterator}_searchTags | isEmpty)">
+                        ng-show="${itm}.length === 0 && !(searchTags | isEmpty)">
                         <div class="col-lg-12 List-searchNoResults">
                             No records matched your search.
                         </div>
@@ -1865,7 +1865,7 @@ angular.module('FormGenerator', [GeneratorHelpers.name, 'Utilities', listGenerat
                 // Show the "no items" box when loading is done and the user isn't actively searching and there are no results
                 var emptyListText = (collection.emptyListText) ? collection.emptyListText : i18n._("PLEASE ADD ITEMS TO THIS LIST");
                 html += `<div ng-hide="is_superuser">`;
-                html += `<div class="List-noItems" ng-show="${itm}.length === 0 && (${collection.iterator}_searchTags | isEmpty)"> ${emptyListText} </div>`;
+                html += `<div class="List-noItems" ng-show="${itm}.length === 0 && (searchTags | isEmpty)"> ${emptyListText} </div>`;
                 html += '</div>';
 
                 html += `
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js
index 1ec198c18d..b601813a72 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.controller.js
@@ -85,12 +85,19 @@ export default ['$stateParams', '$scope', '$state', 'QuerySet', 'GetBasePath', '
                     else {
                         encodeParams.searchTerm = true;
                     }
+                    removed = qs.encodeParam(encodeParams);
+                }
+                else {
+                    removed = setDefaults(tagToRemove);
                 }
-                removed = qs.encodeParam(encodeParams);
             }
             _.each(removed, (value, key) => {
                 if (Array.isArray(queryset[key])){
                     _.remove(queryset[key], (item) => item === value);
+                    // If the array is now empty, remove that key
+                    if(queryset[key].length === 0) {
+                        delete queryset[key];
+                    }
                 }
                 else {
                     delete queryset[key];